How to equip a summer cottage with an area of ​​10 acres with your own hands?

On a plot of 10 acres, you can place: a house and outbuildings, set up a garden, organize a vegetable garden, allocate a place for children to play, breed pets and a bird, build a dovecote, arrange a recreation area, create a pond or install a swimming pool, plant everything with roses and make a fountain or plant pine trees. Which option should you choose? What do you need to know to equip a summer cottage with your own hands? Let's try to understand the basics of landscape design.

The initial challenge is to prioritize land use.

There are several options here:

• Creation of an environment only for recreation: coniferous trees, flowering shrubs are planted, recreation areas with an artificial reservoir are equipped;
• The second option is the use of land for agricultural purposes, when the entire site is developed for fruit and vegetable and berry crops, as well as breeding poultry or animals;
• The third type combines both options, especially in large families, where the interests of young people and the older generation can be harmoniously taken into account, and a place can be allocated both for recreation and for obtaining their own harvest.

After all the priorities in the use of the land have been set, we decide on the style of the site design.

The regular classical style assumes a circular or rectilinear network of paths with a central alley that is more decorative, and on the sides are trees, shrubs, flower beds or garden beds. At the same time, outbuildings are located along the perimeter of the site.

The natural or English style (more chaotic) is characterized by the fact that the plantings are of a mixed type, trees and shrubs form picturesque groups, and between them on sunny glades there are beds or flower beds. The paths are laid in comfortable places with natural curves. In shady places, gazebos and artificial reservoirs or streams are installed. It is pleasant to spend time in such a garden, but it is difficult to care for plants, since grass and wildflowers are both part of the natural lawn and weeds for vegetable and flower plantings.

After determining the style of decoration, we make a thorough analysis of the landscape of the backyard territory. We establish whether there are strong elevation differences, whether they can be used to construct an artificial stream / reservoir, or whether it is necessary to bring in soil for leveling. Perhaps the site is located in a lowland and it is necessary to provide for water drainage and a drainage system. Small deformities are detected visually and corrected on their own. We also decide which trees or shrubs to keep. It makes no sense to preserve flower plantings, since they are easily replaced. Now all this needs to be applied to paper.

The documents for the registration of land registration always contain a detailed plan of the site. We make a copy of it on an enlarged scale (preferably on a piece of Whatman paper).

We distribute on this plan the location of all functional areas: courtyard, parking, vegetable garden, garden, pool and other facilities. The particular accuracy of the drawing is not important here, it is enough to observe the scale to determine whether you have enough space for your ideas. If you are going to plant a pine grove, dig a pond and fence off a plot for poultry, then you will not be able to allocate a place for an orchard on an area of ​​10 acres. This plan is drawn in order to know exactly what landscape solutions you can afford, and what I can't.

We draw the outlines of capital buildings, the boundaries of the fence and the path from the gate to the front door of the house. The territory to the right and left of the path, as well as the area in front of the central entrance to the house, is called the front zone. The main attention is paid to the decor of this part of the site. The most beautiful flower beds or ornamental-leaved plants, a lawn with dense lawn grass are located here, and the paths are trimmed with high-performance material, beautiful and comfortable in bad weather.

Family members and guests at the entrance see this part of the site, which is why such importance is attached to its design.

Flowers are planted in flower beds, flower beds, rockeries or rock gardens:

• Rabatka is a long flower bed along the path;
• A round flower bed is arranged in the center of the ceremonial zone;
• Rockery and rock garden are more related to the natural types of the garden and it is better to place them along the landscape on the side of the front area or recreation area.

The south side is assigned to a garden (1-3 acres). It can be placed next to the house. It is permissible to arrange the beds in the form of flower beds. High beds with a wooden or metal frame are popular. With neat paths, they can become a decoration of the local area.

You can hide the garden with the help of fruit or decorative vines. You can separate the garden from the front zone with a trellis of grapes or flowering clematis. Another option would be to place a vegetable garden in the back of the site. So, the beds will be hidden by trees or shrubs, but here you need to think over the irrigation system.

The rest of the area is set aside for a garden or park. On the northern side of the site, we have fruit or tall park trees so that they do not interfere with the insolation of the site. Trees can be planted in groups or along the perimeter of the site. Then, from the western and southern sides, they give preference to shrub forms: irga, mountain ash, elderberry, sea buckthorn, viburnum, dwarf apple trees, low conifers. We draw on the drawing the plants we like in the form of a circle according to the size of the crown of an adult tree. This is necessary in order not to thicken the plantings if the trees are intertwined with crowns, otherwise a beautiful background will not work and there will be no big harvest.

A gazebo is installed in the shade of trees, and a brazier or a place for a fire is located nearby. The gazebo needs to be built for 8-10 people, then its size will be 3x3 m.If a barbecue grill or a summer stove and a dining table are installed under the roof, then the size of such a gazebo should be at least 4.5 m. plants with fragrant flowers, honeysuckle, climbing roses or clematis. Arrangement of a small reservoir for a resting place and a lawn for active games is relevant.

The reservoir is planted with moisture-loving hosts, irises, daylilies or sedges. They create a beautiful frame for the water surface. The size can be from a miniature 2x2 m to rather large artificial ponds where fish are launched and where you can swim. In this case, wooden skeins are equipped on the shore or the slope is laid out with natural stone.

Tracks are the connecting elements of all zones. In the most visited places, it is a good idea to make them out of stone or tiles. So, a path from tree cuts looks beautiful in a coniferous park.

A plot of 10 acres is quite large. There will not be enough adjoining lighting here, so in the evening you need to install additional lighting along the paths. Artistically positioned lighting in flower gardens and rockeries creates a mysterious atmosphere of a magical garden.

Gazebos, pergolas, arches and climbing plant supports are used for vertical landscaping of the territory. Blooming vines will create vertical accents in the garden. Climbing plants can hide an unsightly building or close a fence. Putting a bench in an ivy-covered archway creates a secluded aesthetic ensemble. The park area is often decorated with sculptures, fountains or objects of peasant life for gardens in a natural style.

A plot of 10 acres can have an elongated rectangular shape. Axial symmetry should be avoided here, and the tracks should be arranged in a zigzag or sinusoidal manner. On areas with an irregular shape, in sharp corners or ledges, it is better to place a recreation area, ornamental shrubs and a gazebo, which will help to hide the cramped space.

For information on how to correctly plan a summer cottage, see the next video.